Chapter 11

"Not a chance in hell," Tobias answered instantly. "That is one sacrifice I will never make. Not to save your life, at least. Or to save mine. She is no longer a part of any of this. Do you understand?" His voice reminded me of the time we visited the North Pole.

Mersa nodded slowly. "Then it will have to be you. I was hoping not to take your team's leader from them on a mission that I need to succeed, but if you aren't willing to leave her with us, it will have to be you."

"Alright. Give me a few minutes to confer with my team. Then we'll get to work on the planning."

Mersa raised an eyebrow. "You don't have a plan?"

"Do we ever?" Marco smirked.

We went out into the hallway to discuss. "What's this about?" James asked. "What is it you didn't want to say in front of them?"

"Everyone morph something non threatening," Tobias said. "Except for Ax and David. They can stay as they are. I've got no doubts this hallway is bugged, but I don't think they have a way to overhear thought-speak."

A few moments later, I was an Andalite standing in the hallway of a Yeerk command center looking at a rat, a pigeon, an owl, a skunk, and a squirrel. Perhaps my life is odd. I do not think Andalites typically end up in these situations. Well, maybe Elfangor.

((So what is it, fearless leader?)) Marco, the skunk, asked.

((Yeah. Why did I have to get all feathery?)) the pigeon, James, added. Then I guess he remembered to whom he was speaking. ((Not that there's anything wrong with feathers. No sir. Nothing at all.))

Tobias, the squirrel, shifted from foot to foot, looking like he wanted to run around climbing on things. I was a squirrel once. It must have taken great concentration for him to remain still. ((You need to decide on a new leader, since I'll be a hostage here.))

((Oh, that,)) Marco said. ((I would think it's kind of obvious, don't you?))

((What do you mean?)) I asked.

Marco turned to me. ((Well, if Tobias is tied up here, that means there are only two original Animorphs left to lead this charge. That's you and me. Now me, I don't have the leadership experience you do. After all, you're the great Prince Aximili of Earth.))

I believe he may have been being sarcastic. David added, ((If anyone would know their way around the Blade ship, it would be you, Ax.))

The owl, Jeanne, nodded her head. I wasn't sure they were able to do that. ((I agree. What do you think, James?))

((Well, I'm done leading people. If Ax wants to handle it, he can be my guest. I'll follow any of you.))

((Actually,)) Tobias began, ((I'm thinking this might require splitting into two groups. That will mean two leaders. You need to choose a second.))

That was met with silence. I decided to think "out loud" as humans say. ((Well, James has leadership experience, but he is new at this, compared to the rest of us.))

((And I don't want to be the leader of anything,)) James added. ((Just point me where I can do some good.))

((I think Marco is our only option,)) Jeanne proposed. ((He is the last of the originals. And we all trust him.))

((Meaning that you don't trust me?)) James asked.

((Meaning that they don't trust me,)) David told him. ((In spite of everything I've done and tried to do. I mean really, how many times do I have to risk my life for you people before you get it through your heads that I'm different now?))

((About as many times as you tried to take our lives,)) Marco answered. ((And even then I don't think I can completely trust you. I know why Mersa's tense about letting Imrahil out of his sights.))

((You seemed to trust me on our last few missions. Didn't I pass Tobias's test before we came back here?)) David demanded.

((Things have changed. I knew you wouldn't betray Al. But now…))

((Marco, don't start blaming me for what happened to Al. I didn't ask him to go in my place and if I could have stopped him I would have.))

((Maybe you -))

((Enough,)) Tobias interrupted coldly. ((That bridge has already been burnt. We've just got to cross this one now. There's no point in holding out hope for Al. False hope will just make this hurt worse.))

((Maybe we could rescue him like we did Ax,)) James began.

((We're not discussing that,)) Tobias said again.

((Fine. So we follow Marco, since Jeanne doesn't want to do it,)) David answered. It can be difficult to tell, especially with aliens and especially with thought-speech, but I believe he was bitter. Not that I could blame him. Nor could I blame Marco.

((One last thing,)) Tobias said. ((I'm saying this only to you two, Ax and Marco. If you come across Al…if he's a Controller…you know what you have to do. He's a genius. His knowledge cannot, cannot remain in Yeerk hands. Do you understand?))

I nodded slowly, ((Yes, Tobias. If Alloran is a Controller…))

((You know, giving that kind of order is one of the things that destroyed Jake,)) Marco said. ((Can you live with that, Tobias?))

((Either I live with it or we all die for it. You know which one I'll pick every time.))

Chapter 12

Mersa summoned Imrahil, and then we all met to plan our attack. This was something new for us all. Planning an attack like this was one thing. Planning it with Yeerks and traitors was something else entirely.

Just looking around, I could see how much we changed from our days in the first war. Back then, it would have been the six of us, Jake, Marco, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and myself. We would have been in Cassie's barn, where our biggest concern was that someone might walk in and see five children killing time.

Now, we were a different group. Marco was more or less the same, but that was it. Jeanne, who I have been told is a Yeerk-trained assassin. David and Imrahil, the notorious traitors. James, who fled from battle and left his men to die. Mersa, a rebel Yeerk who was by no means a true ally. I was no longer a lowly Aristh abandoned on a foreign world. I was a Prince, and a recently freed Controller. And Tobias, of course. He was completely different from the boy he used to be.

Instead of the barn, we were in Mersa's war room. A hologram of the Blade ship was displayed before us, hovering over the round table around which we stood.

"Here's my basic plan," Tobias explained. "We go in as two teams. Team One is a diversion. They're supposed to be caught and distract the guards. It can't be too obvious, though. Team A will be the one in charge of getting to the bridge and hijacking the ship."

"When the Visser only gets three people from Team One, he'll know that we're a distraction," Marco pointed out.

((Not if he thinks the missing team is the distraction,)) David reasoned. ((If he thinks he caught the real threat instead of the diversion, he won't bother to look for the others. They'll just reveal themselves in time and all will be well for the Visser.))

"So how do we convince him the distraction is the real deal?" Marco asked.

"I have a suggestion," James offered. We all turned to him.

"You don't need permission to speak, James," Tobias told him. "What is it?"

"Well, it seems to me that only one of us could actually steal the Blade ship. Does anyone other than Ax know how to fly one of those?" James asked.

Jeanne nodded. "I was trained in it. But Prince Aximili knows the security codes. I do not."

"Then Ax has to lead Team A," James surmised. "Would the Visser realize that?"

"If he doesn't Guraff will," Tobias told him. "I see where you're going. If they catch the team with Ax, they'll know it has to be the real one."

((And I just happen to have an Ax morph,)) David pointed out. ((I can probably fake it long enough for the real team to get to the bridge.))

"Alright, let's go with that," Tobias decided. "Next, we need to divide up our forces. If we're talking about sieging the bridge of the Blade ship, I want experienced ones doing it. Ax and Imrahil will go together. David will go with Marco. So, where do Jeanne and James go?"

"If Team A isn't supposed to be caught, then I'd say send James with them," Marco answered. "No need for the Yeerks to know about him unless they have to."

((Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing,)) David supplied.

Tobias nodded. "That's what we'll do then. Now, we need to talk about procedure. Infiltration. I'm thinking Team One goes in with one of Mersa's Bug fighters. You can supply us with one, right?"

"I can," Mersa answered. "We were given a very small air force for our operations here. No more than a handful of Bug fighters and a pair of transport ships. I can spare one Bug fighter on this gamble, two at the most. No more than that, though."

"Let me guess," James said. "Team A hides on Team One as bugs? Team One gets captured, Team A breaks off, demorphs, and gets to the bridge?"

"No," Tobias answered. "How many times have we done that? The Visser will be prepared for it this time. He'll probably just spray you with Raid the instant he finds you. Every inch of that ship will be bug proof."

"So what then?" Marco asked. "Blow holes in the ship like we did last time? That would attract too much attention."

((I have a suggestion,)) I told them. ((The Visser has a private hangar in the Blade ship. Whenever he leaves the ship in a Bug fighter, the Bug fighter passes through that hangar. It has a separate entrance from all the other Bug fighters on the outside of the ship. If our Bug fighter broadcast the correct codes, the hangar will open to us without alerting the rest of the ship.))

Tobias, David, and Marco looked at each other. ((I don't know,)) David began. ((What if they're watching the hangar? It's something Guraff might figure out.))

"Do we have a better way in, though?" Marco asked. "Or any way in at all?"

"I suggest you go for it. Now, as for how the other team is going to sneak in…"

"On no," James groaned. "I don't think I like that look."

"You get used to it," Marco sighed.

Chapter 13

We spent the next few minutes finalizing the plans. Once we had all agreed on a course of action (by which I mean once we bullied Mersa and Imrahil into agreeing with our admittedly suicidal and, as Marco repeatedly said, insane scheme) we were ready to depart. Minus Tobias, of course.

I was about to lead my team to the Bug fighter we would take to the Blade ship, but Tobias stopped me. "It occurs to me," he said slowly, "that Rachel is still sitting in the Reliquary and has no idea what's going on."

I guess Marco overheard him, because he immediately turned pale and started to speak. "Oh sh-"

"So I think," Tobias interrupted, "that you should go and tell her what's going on."

((Very well. I shall return presently.)) I received some glares from the guards, but no one attempted to stop me. That was good. I entered the parking lot. ((Rachel, I will need to have a word with you,)) I called.

The Reliquary appeared in front of me, idling in the parking lot. The floor hatch was open. I entered the ship to find Rachel pointing a Shredder at my head. "Yeerk."

((I am no Controller, Rachel.))

"Bulllarky."

((Whether you believe me or not is of no consequence, I suppose. I am only here to deliver a message.))

"What message? From who?"

((From Tobias. In order to take the Blade ship, we require assistance from Prince Imrahil. But Mersa would not release him unless we could guarantee that we would return him. So we left Mersa one of our own as a hostage.))

"Who?" Her eyes narrowed. She suspected.

((Tobias.))

The Shredder dropped and she turned away from me. "Damnit. Why does he always have to do this?" I suspect she may have been crying, but she would not want me to know or acknowledge that fact. I remained silent.

She still didn't turn towards me when she continued to speak. "This is how it happened last time. He agreed to let them take him. In the same damn building! Why does he always do this, Ax?"

((He believes he is protecting us.))

"They won't let him go, you know. Mersa won't keep his promise. We'll have to fight out way in there to get Tobias back. Don't you see that?"

((Mersa must keep his promise,)) I argued. ((He needs our help. Without us, he is a dead man.))

"If he hands Tobias's head to the Visser, you know he'll be forgiven Ax."

((Trust me when I say that the Visser is not in the habit of forgiving his subordinates. Even when they kill his enemies. If the Visser ever gets his hands on Mersa, only one of them will walk away and it will not be Mersa.))

"But does Mersa understand that? Or is he just desperate. He screwed up big time. He didn't think this through. He though the Visser would be too busy dealing with us on the other front that he couldn't put down a rebellion here. But now it's very clear what's going to happen and he'll do anything to try to come out alive."

((Mersa is more intelligent than I originally thought,)) I told her. ((He immediately saw the value in our truce. And once Tobias made it clear that you would not be taken as a hostage-))

"What about me as a hostage?"

((Originally, Mersa wanted you to be their hostage. But once Tobias said no, Mersa abandoned that track. He knows when he has been beaten.))

"But do we?" She shrugged and then turned to face me. If she had been crying, there was no trace of it now. "Sorry. I guess I just worry too much."

I laughed so hard my brain hurt. ((Thank you, Rachel. It has been a long time since I have found something truly humorous.))

She looked as though she was about to speak, but then dropped the matter, to use the human idiom. Instead, she grew serious again. If she had ever been joking. "Is…is there any news about Al?"

((None from Mersa's people,)) I admitted. ((Tobias suspects that we may encounter him on the Blade ship.))

"Yeah, maybe. You'll do everything you can to save him, right? I mean, he's part of our family."

((I…Rachel, Tobias gave me instructions. We are not to hold out hope for saving Alloran. If we encounter him…))

"No. Ax, you can't do that no matter what Tobias says. You have to at least try to save Al. We kidnapped a Visser off of his own blade ship with a hundred Kelbrid watching the whole thing. We stole his host and got away with it. If we saved you, we can get our hands on one Andalite kid."

((But my orders-))

"Screw your orders. We both know Tobias is no god. He makes mistakes, Ax, gives bad orders some times. Probably a lot more than we realize. He's only human."

((That is not strictly true,)) I reminded her.

"Okay, maybe not. But he's human enough. If you come across Al, then I don't care what Tobias says you have to save him. Promise me Ax. Swear it on Elfangor's grave."

((I…I do not have a choice, do I?))

"None whatsoever."

((Then I promise.))

Chapter 14

James, Imrahil, and I boarded our bug fighter. We did not find ourselves in the most comfortable of circumstances. Although we Andalites are not too large, we do tend to occupy a non-negligible amount of space; much like the negatives of the previous statement. It did not help matters any that James and I did not want to be too close to Imrahil, nor him to us.

I approached the flight controls of the Bug fighter. ((What do you think you are doing?)) Imrahil demanded.

((I am flying the ship,)) I replied calmly. I did not like his tone. It sounded as though he thought he would be the one flying the ship.

((No, I am flying the ship.)) It seems I was correct.

I snorted. ((I have seen you fly, Imrahil. I would rather us reach the Blade ship in one piece.))

((Prince Imrahil.))

((Warrior Imrahil,)) I retorted. ((And you are lucky I allow you to keep even that. Treachery is grounds for execution.))

((You speak to me of treachery? You just willingly negotiated a deal with a Yeerk overlord.))

((As did you,)) I pointed out.

James shoved in between us and muscled us out of the way with his strong Human arms. A moment later, the Bug fighter rose off of the ground and began to move to the exit of the hangar in the Yeerk pool.

I swiveled a stalk eye to look at him. ((You know how to fly a Yeerk ship?))

He shrugged. "I learned a lot on the Andalite world. I lived with scientists, remember? Yeerk tech is easy enough to figure out for anyone with a background in Andalite stuff. Hey, here's a question they never answered when I asked. Who exactly is Sario and why is the rip named after him?"

Imrahil and I looked at each other. I shrugged. He scuffed a hoof. ((You were not paying attention that day either?)) he asked.

((There was a game later. And this female…)) I trailed off. I had the strangest feeling I had given this explanation to someone before.

((Your…guardians?...did not know either?)) I asked him.

James shook his head. "A biologist and a doctor. Not physicists. They didn't know much about rips. They just told me not to say 'Sario' unless I was talking about rips."

((Oh, well, yes, that makes sense,)) I said.

Imrahil dipped his tail in agreement. ((Certainly good advice. Especially on the homeworld. On a Dome ship it would be different, but back home…))

"Why can't I say Sario?"

((Well, I personally do not mind it,)) I began.

((Nor do I,)) Imrahil jumped in. I suppose he was afraid of being viewed as less masculine then I was.

((But it is best not to use it commonly,)) I added.

"But what does it mean?"

I thought of the human words I knew and decided that I was uncomfortable saying any of them. ((It is roughly equivalent of the Yeerk word dapsen,)) I told him. ((Except stronger and more offensive.))

"Oh. So how did it get applied to a rip?"

((According to what Elfangor told me once,)) I began. I did not miss how Imrahil snorted when I said Elfangor's name, ((if you find yourself in a Sario Rip, you are in deep sario indeed. But that may just be a common myth.))

((Then how appropriate that Elfangor should tell it,)) Imrahil commented.

My tail twitched. Imrahil noticed that. ((Ah. Do it, Aximili. Fight me. Kill me even. But you can't. If you kill me, you will never get your precious half-breed shorm back. Not that you ever could kill me. So I will say whatever I want to say about your filthy cross-breeding disgrace of a brother.))

James punched Imrahil where his jaw would have been if he had a mouth. Imrahil stumbled back, more from surprise than the force of the blow. He glared at James with all four eyes.

"I may not be able to kill you; especially not in this body. But Elfangor is the reason the Yeerks don't own the galaxy right now. Elfangor is the reason I can walk again. Elfangor can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants as far as I'm concerned. And I will not let you insult him. Or Tobias for that matter."

Imrahil raised his tail. I did the same. ((Mersa never said that we had to return you alive, Imrahil. And if you cost us this mission, I will be more than happy to be sure Mersa or the Visser has you infested. It is a better fate than you deserve.))

((How can you even call yourself Andalite?)) Imrahil spat. But he lowered his tail. A minor victory. We could not keep fighting like this. Perhaps once the mission was in full swing, we would get along better. Speaking of which…

"Okay. Thanks to the program we downloaded from the Reliquary, we can keep track of the Blade ship. Man, this Alloran guy really was a genius. The Blade ship is in orbit. It'll be on the short-range sensors soon. Ax, you'll need to input the Visser's code now."

I nodded and did as I was told. Now it was time for the mission to truly begin.

Chapter 15

The Blade ship. The site of my undying horror. The nexus of the most evil things that had ever happened to me. It was there when Elfangor died (which, admittedly, I did not see). It was the site of Rachel's death as well. It was where I was captured, enslaved, and forced to plot the Visser's evil plans. And now, it would be ours. For a time anyway.

"Wow. I kind of forgot what it looked like."

((It is always a shock,)) I agreed.

((Are you certain you used the proper code?)) Imrahil asked once again.

((I am capable of inputting a code, Imrahil,)) I responded. ((Not all of us struggle as you do.))

((No, I suppose not. Some simply have everything handed to them by virtue of their brothers.))

James sighed. "This is going to be a long first day back."

((Then perhaps you should have stayed out of business where you are not wanted,)) Imrahil snapped. James ignored him and instead concentrated on getting close to the Blade ship.

When we were close, a hole opened up in the side of the ship. The Visser's private entrance. Before we entered, I took a quick look around. It was empty but for a pair of Kelbrid guards to welcome the Visser. Satisfied, I nodded to James and he guided the ship in.

That was a mistake. As soon as the front of the ship passed through the hole, I realized that the image I saw was a hologram. Instead of two Kelbrid, there were eight. And a very large Hork-bajir. Guraff 427. They were prepared for us.

((Too late to back out,)) I said to James. ((We'll have to fight past this welcoming committee. Perhaps the Visser himself is being distracted by Marco, Jeanne, and David. If so, all is not yet lost.))

Imrahil raised his tail. ((I will show Guraff the true meaning of a warrior.))

I rolled my eyes. This momentarily surprised me, since I did not know I had that physical capability. It did not work when I attempted it with my stalk eyes, though; I had to content myself with rolling my main eyes a second time.

"Eight of those…things…and that big Hork-bajir? Do we even have a chance?" James questioned.

((There are…alternatives…to combat,)) I assured him.

((Such as?)) Imrahil snorted.

Calmly, I grabbed the controls for the Bug fighter's Dracon cannons. I took aim at Guraff and squeezed the firing button down.

Nothing happened.

"Uh…I'm guessing they disabled those when they realized we weren't actually with the Visser," James said unnecessarily.

((Yes, I suppose so.))

"Escape? Insects?" James suggested.

((Insects will not be of much use,)) I reminded him. ((The Visser is all too aware of how we use them. And nothing sneaks past a Kelbrid, so small animals are out. ))

"But there are too many to fight."

((For a human,)) Imrahil agreed.

"If you want to take them alone, be my guest." Imrahil had nothing to say to that. To me, James said, "Do you have any morphs that might help us here?"

I shook my head. ((Not even Tobias's Howler could fight through this many Kelbrid. We have two choices. We can attack, or we can wait and hope they expose an opening. Perhaps… If these are Guraff's personal, uninfested Kelbrid, they will be loyal to us if we slay him.))

There was really only one thing to be done. I opened a section of the Bug fighter's wall and stepped out. Guraff barked out a command and the Kelbrid formed a half-ring in front of the Bug fighter. Guraff stepped into the center of it.

"Prince Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill himself. It is an honor to finally meet you." Any other Yeerk would have been sarcastic when he said that. But Guraff is not an ordinary Yeerk. "How odd that we were together for so long yet you and I never spoke."

((Hello, Guraff. You seem to have anticipated us.))

"You made a simple mistake. Broadcasting the Visser's personal code would have worked. Except that everyone on this ship knows that the Visser is already on the ship, not on a Bug fighter approaching it. This is some sort of attempt to rescue young Alloran, is it not?"

((If he is still alive.))

"Oh, quite. I have done what I can to ensure that. He is not a host, either. The Visser infested him at first, thinking he was you. But his mind…it was too confusing. Too much information. Even with Alloran's memories, Esplin did not understand any of it. It is difficult to inhabit the mind of a genius. It tends to drive a Yeerk insane."

((Your host is a Seer,)) I pointed out.

"As much as I despise sounding vain, I am far from the average Yeerk, Prince Aximili." Guraff shook his head. "But that is neither here nor there. Where are your allies, Prince Aximili? Where is the young beast? And what of Rachel? Surely they would be the ones leading such an attack."

He turned to one of the Kelbrid near him. "The young beast is not among these prisoners. Put the ship on high alert. He will come and we must be ready." The Kelbrid loped off. To another Kelbrid, Guraff added, "Prince Aximili and anyone else in that Bug fighter is to be taken to the prison with young Alloran. They are not to be harmed unless it is necessary."

((I have a proposal for you, Guraff.))

"Oh? I am always willing to listen."

((I offer you a formal challenge. I swear by my honor that if you fight me in single combat and win, I and any survivors will offer no resistance to you. If I am victorious, you must release us.))

Guraff put his chin in his hand and visibly thought it over. I knew what he would choose. Even if he was an intelligent tactician, Guraff was a warrior at heart. He wanted to fight me. He couldn't pass up a duel with the famous Prince Aximili.

"Very well. We fight."